This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Solenoid operated valves, such as poppet valves, can be used to control the flow of a fluid, such as pressurized air, through a manifold. Such manifolds may be part of equipment such as sorters, packaging machines, food processors, and the like that are driven by the pressurized fluid. Such solenoid operated valves may be operated for millions of cycles. In order to retain the solenoid operated valve in a closed position when the solenoid is de-energized, biasing members such as springs are used. It is also known, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,736 to Chorkey, that fluid pressure can be balanced within the valve to reduce a solenoid force required to move a valve member between closed and open positions.
The valve member is slidingly arranged within a valve body cartridge. In the closed position, a valve member is generally held in contact with a valve seat of the valve body cartridge by the biasing member. In the open position, the solenoid generally moves the valve member away from the valve seat forming a clearance gap therebetween. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,333 to Paulsen, a bellows shaped diaphragm can be used to provide a seal between the valve body cartridge and the solenoid. Such diaphragms prevent contaminants from working their way towards the solenoid while permitting longitudinal movement of the valve member.
The valve body cartridge is designed to be received in a bore provided in the manifold. The manifold usually includes multiple passageways that are arranged in fluid communication with the manifold bore. In operation, the solenoid operated valve controls fluid flow between these multiple passageways. O-ring seals are typically provided on the outside of the valve body cartridge to seal the valve body cartridge within the manifold bore.